There for You
by DecemberWildfire
Summary: (Sequel to "Come Home"). Chikorita and Totodile return home to their families after being away for months on missions. Throughout the bonding and an unexpected adventure, Chikorita learns more and more about just how much her adoptive father Nuzleaf cares for her. (PSMD spoilers; Leaf Dad tribute).
1. Winter

A/N: Like the summary says, this is the sequel to my story "Come Home." So… yeah, read that first if you want this one to make sense. :P

(I intentionally keep the summaries vague to avoid giving everything away. JS.)

Like always, don't read this if you haven't played Super Mystery Dungeon unless you want major spoilers.

Prepare for fluff.

* * *

"More please!"

The tiny blue crocodile joyfully held his mug in the air.

"Just give me one minute to help this customer," Kangaskhan called back from the counter.

"Umm… Totodile?"

"Yessssss?" He sat there all jumpy and jittery.

"Are you sure you need more hot chocolate right now? You seem to be experiencing quite the sugar rush…"

"Oh, come on, Chikorita! You gotta have some fun and let loose sometimes! Don't you think we've earned us a little sugar after all of our missions this month?"

"Yes, I think we've earned ourselves a _little_ sugar," she teased.

"All right, I'm coming," Kangaskhan called over to them. She walked over with a fresh mug of hot chocolate. "How many mugs have you had tonight, child?"

"Ummmm, I dunno. 3? 4? Maybe 7?" He continued bouncing around.

"My goodness! Chikorita, I sure hope you're keeping him in check…"

She laughed. "Oh, don't worry. He's usually not this bad. We're just celebrating a month's worth of successful missions."

"We're also excited to go home tomorrow!" Totodile added.

"Oh, well that's exciting! I'm sure you two could use a nice vacation."

"Yeah!" Totodile hopped up and down. "It's getting chilly here in the Grass Continent, and, well… it'll basically be the same back in Serene Village, but the colder temperatures are making me miss my Pops and his warm home…"

"We're trying to be better with self-care," Chikorita said. "We exhausted ourselves a little too much back on the Mist Continent, so starting now we're going to try to go home at least once a month. I know my dad tends to worry when I'm away for a long time."

"Oh?" Kangaskhan looked a little confused. "I didn't realize you had a father in this world. I thought… you were a human before?"

"I was. He's not my real dad or anything. He sort of adopted me in a way. He takes care of me and looks out for me. Last time we were home, Totodile and I both promised our dads that we'd make an effort to visit more."

"Oh, I see. Well I think that's wonderful!" Kangaskhan smiled her warm, motherly smile. "I wish you two safe travels and a nice vacation. You'll have to tell me all about it when you get back!"

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Several Pokemon were eating at the café, but Kangaskhan wasn't there.

"Hmmm. Weird…"

He turned to the M Unown who was also standing at the counter waiting.

"Hi there. Any idea where Kangaskhan might be?"

" _Ermmmm_ … no, I don't. Sorry. And no, that wasn't a joke."

"Well, I reckon I'll just-"

"Oh, Mr. Nuzleaf! There you are!"

Kangaskhan came rushing back into the café. "I'm sorry. I was over getting some supplies from Kecleon. I received a very specific order for a large pie made with only perfect apples, and so… well, anyways. Thank you for bringing this!"

Nuzleaf handed her the basket of oran berries. "Always at your service, ma'am."

"Excuse me! Could I get some more tea?" a customer called out from across the room.

"One moment!" she shouted back. "I'm sorry, Nuzleaf. If you could just give me one quick minute…"

"Ain't no problem at all."

"You seem to be in a good mood," the Unown said as he faced him again. "Or should I say, an _M-azing_ mood? Okay, sorry… I had to. Anyways. Any big plans for the weekend?"

Nuzleaf smiled, ignoring the bad pun. "I reckon it'll be a good weekend for lots of the parents here. My kid's comin' home tomorrow night, and ol' Carracosta will get to see Totodile likewise. I also hear Roselia's takin' a much-needed vacation overseas with Budew. Lord knows she could use some time off."

"Wait, you have a kid? Since when? I've never seen _you_ with a kid."

"Well she ain't really mine, but I sorta adopted her. Believe me when I say it's one _heck_ of a long story…"

"Mmmm okay. Well, I hope it's a good time. I think I'll get going home now… it's an _M-ergency_."

"An emergency? What's goin' on?"

"I need to get home quickly and work on my puns…"

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"Here we are," Lapras announced. "Lively Town."

"Wow!" Totodile excitedly hopped off. "It feels like forever since we've been here!"

"Sure does," Chikorita said.

"Come on! Let's go say hi to everyone at the Expedition Society!"

The two heroes made their way over to the base, listening to the group of singing Pokemon in the square along the way.

"It's a fine day for tunes, innit?" Murkrow chimed.

They entered the Expedition Society building, as the door was wide open like always.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Totodile called out.

"Who's that?" a voice came from a distance.

"Oh my! If it isn't Chikorita and Totodile!" Ampharos said as he poked his head out of one of the rooms. "Splendid of you to drop by! Come on over here and give ol' Ampharos a hug."

Before they could react, he came running full-speed at them, causing them both to fly and crash into a wall upon contact.

"Oh! My sincerest apologies!" Ampharos started sweating as he scurried over to help them up.

"N-no worries… it's the thought that counts, right?" Chikorita uttered as she slowly stood back up.

"I just missed you two dearly. Yes, undeniably. And so I'm afraid I got a little too excited…"

"Don't sweat it," Totodile said. "Where's everyone else?"

"Unfortunately you just missed Buizel and Dedenne. They just left for exploration, along with the others. Swirlix is in the kitchen, making her third pie for the day because she consumed the first two. Jirachi is upstairs, but he could very well be asleep."

"Guess we'll have to wake him up then," Chikorita said. "I just hope we don't have to battle him like that one time…"

"If you need any assistance, then, *pose* just call for the Dashing Wanderer!"

"Will do."

The two ascended up the stairs, and were relieved to find Jirachi wide awake.

"Totodile! Chikorita! So good to see you!"

He floated over to them cheerfully.

"Good to see you too!" Totodile greeted. "How are things?"

"I've been keeping pretty busy. These days I basically live up in this room most of the time. But it's been good, because I've been finding some interesting things through my studies!"

"What kind of things?"

"Well, if you really wish to know… it's led me to a theory actually. You know how all of us, including Arceus, got turned to stone back when you guys were inside the Tree of Life?"

They nodded.

"Well, I was thinking… _how can that be_? So many of us have viewed Arceus as the god of this world for a long time now, but if that were the case, he shouldn't have been able to be turned to stone like that! And so through my studying of space and history… I believe there's something, or Someone, even bigger out there! Someone… glorious, and present. Do you know what I mean? The others thought it sounded crazy at first, but Mawile has been looking into it too, and now even she argues that it's possible."

"That's cool! You'll have to update us when you learn more!"

"Absolutely! I feel a certain peace about this."

Jirachi paused for a second and noticed that they looked a little bit banged up.

"Did Ampharos tackle you two again?"

"…Yeah. But we're fine."

"He does it out of love!"

"Oh yes, we know that."

"Say, have you two ever considered evolving?"

That caught them both off guard.

"I mean," he continued, "I'm sure you're both strong enough by now to be able to. And maybe if you got bigger, you wouldn't go flying so much when the chief tackles you? That would just be an extra perk, of course."

"Well…" Chikorita began, "I actually have thought about it a little. Maybe someday. It just… doesn't feel like the right time now."

"Yeah, I'm happy with the way I am!" Totodile added. "But maybe sometime down the line?"

"I understand. Just thought I'd ask!"

Jirachi floated back over to his telescope. "So, will you guys be staying the night?"

"We'd love to, but we're actually heading back to Serene Village now."

"Okay. Well I won't keep you then. Have a safe journey back! As if you even need to worry about that…" he winked.

The two heroes said their goodbyes, received a small snack from Swirlix, and were on their way.

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Night had fallen but Serene Village was well-lit. It was still early in the evening, so several Pokemon were still hanging out around the plaza. It wasn't too cold outside, but a few small snowflakes were lightly falling from the sky.

From a distance, the scene looked magical. Chikorita and Totodile took in the view of their beloved hometown for a moment, and then quickly scurried down the hill to the village's entrance.

"Hey, you two! Welcome back!"

An old, pink friend came prancing their way.

"Hi Deerling!" the two said in unison.

"It's good to see you guys! How long will you be in town?"

"Probably about a week or so?" Totodile replied.

"Awesome! If you want to join, all of us from class are hanging out up by the big tree right now. We'd all love to see you and hear about your adventures!"

"Oh, that sounds fun! But I should go home to my Pops first. Maybe later?"

"Sure thing! I'll tell everyone hello for you."

With that, Totodile broke out into a sprint down the road to his house, creating a trail of dust.

"I should get home too," Chikorita said. "But we'll all have to catch up soon!"

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Nuzleaf was at home, refilling the water bowl and putting food away. Kangaskhan had left a surprise basket of baked goods from the café by his door as a thank-you for all of his help.

"Hi Papa!"

Nuzleaf spun around and found a happy Chikorita standing in the doorway, with the gentle snowflakes falling behind her.

"Hey, kiddo! Welcome h-"

He suddenly caught her in his arms as she ran up and jump-hugged him.

"Well… hello there," he laughed.

"I missed you."

"I missed ya too, kid."

He slowly set her back down after a long embrace. "Kangaskhan came and left lots of good eats earlier today. I reckon you could use a good meal after your journey over here?"

"Yes! I'm starved!"

She hopped excitedly. Totodile's hyper personality had been slowly rubbing off on her over time, and it was quite noticeable.

Nuzleaf started unloading the basket onto the table.

"This table's new?"

"Sure is. Carracosta helped me build it some time ago."

Chikorita's eyes widened at the sight of all the fresh food. "Man… the Kangaskhans sure do love us, don't they?"

"Well, considerin' she went and custom-made all of our favorites, I'd sure say so."

Chikorita started violently munching away, hardly taking a breath between each bite.

Nuzleaf smiled as a sweat drop started forming. "Well, uh… I sure hope you ain't been starvin' over there on the Grass Continent or nothin'…"

She caught her breath. "Hehe… sorry. I kind of got into the habit of inhaling food when I joined the Expedition Society. It's how we all eat at dinnertime…"

"Don't you worry about it." He couldn't help but laugh. "I reckon all that savin' the world could really build up an appetite, huh?"

"You bet!"

"How are all them missions treatin' you?"

"It's all been really good! The dungeons are a lot less intense on the Grass Continent than the ones on the Mist Continent, so it hasn't been quite as draining. We've had about two or three rescue missions each week, but lately most of our missions have been finding items and treasure that others have lost. I still don't understand how so many Pokemon manage to lose their things so easily… but it's still rewarding to help them."

"I find that pretty puzzlin' myself. But I reckon it's best not to pay that no never mind as long as you can help."

"That's true. What about you? I imagine you're still being the world's best servant to everyone here?" she winked.

"You think too highly of me, child. I do rightly try to help out wherever I'm needed, but these days I'm spendin' most of my time just helping ol' Carracosta plant oran berries on his field. We've been reapin' a harvest, and it's been helpful to Kangaskhan's business too."

"I don't think anyone could think too highly of someone who dedicates his life to serving his neighbors," she said, taking another large bite out of a croissant. "But I really love your humility."

"Thanks, kiddo. So tell me, have y'all had any memorable stories from missions since I last saw ya?"

"Actually yes. A couple weeks ago, Totodile and I took a trip back over to the Mist Continent and we fought Mewtwo!"

"SAY WHAT NOW?!" Nuzleaf gasped in shock.

"It was a last minute thing… we were fine though. And we won! We brought our friend Dragonite with us, so that was really helpful. Mewtwo was just doing a little soul searching… and after the battle he connected with us!"

"Well… I'll be darned…" Nuzleaf slowly started to breathe easier again. "I reckon you should be careful out there… don't get _too_ reckless. Though, I will always rightly stand by my philosophy that kids learn best by experiencin' things."

"You should come with us next time!"

"I'd sure love to. I'm sorry I haven't been able to join y'all much… I'd just feel awful bad leavin' these here villagers short-handed after I made a commitment to 'em…"

"Don't worry about it, Papa. This village is a mission field too. But if you ever do get a free day or two, we'd love to see you more!"

The two continued catching up and sharing stories for the rest of the evening. And the soft, glittering snowflakes kept falling.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I know snow in Serene Village probably wouldn't be a thing. But I wanted to do it anyway. (:


	2. Forgiven

The residents of Serene Village could always figure out the time of day based on how soft or intense the sunlight was.

It was early in the morning. Chikorita crawled out of bed and went into the next room, finding Nuzleaf at the table.

"Good morning to you!" he greeted. "Heading out so soon?"

"Yeah, Totodile and I are meeting our old classmates up by the big tree. I haven't talked to them in ages! I'll see you later today!"

"Take care, now."

She scurried out the door.

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"Chikorita! Totodile! It's so good to see you!" Goomy cheerfully greeted as they two approached the top of the hill.

Totodile waved. "Hi everyone! "It's good to be back!"

"Back so soon, huh?" Pancham said with a smirk. "How irritat-" Shelmet nudged him. "…Er, I mean, it's good to see you guys too. In all seriousness."

"Thanks for letting us know about your gathering," Chikorita said to Espurr.

"No problem. Forgive me for not going over and inviting you in person last night. I honestly wasn't feeling very social and didn't want to leave the house, so I didn't."

She smiled cheerfully.

"Oh, Espurr. We love you," Deerling said as she walked up to the two heroes.

"So, this has sort of become our main hangout spot," she went on. "Every Saturday morning we all come up here and try to catch the sunrise."

"Except for when Pancham sleeps in," Shelmet blurted out.

"I don't see what the big deal is," he retorted. "I see you guys all week and we do this every weekend. _So what_ if I wanna sleep every now and then?"

"Don't worry about it, Pancham," Deerling said.

"I don't even get why it's such a struggle for him to wake up in the mornings," Shelmet continued. "I mean, it's not like his mom ever lets him stay up past 9…"

"Okay, shut up already!"

Pancham tackled him and they started bro wrestling. Goomy sat there and just laughed.

"Um… are they okay?" Chikorita tilted her head.

"Oh, they're fine." Deerling smiled. "This is normal. They do this almost every time we see them."

"I find it somewhat entertaining," Espurr said.

"While they're having their fun," Goomy began, joining their circle, "how about we all sit down and catch up? I'd love to hear about your adventures overseas!"

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 _"And that's why…? It was all just to get the Luminous Water…?"_

 _"Yeah, and I sure do thank you for your help with that, fools."_

*Toss* *turn*

 _"But I'm afraid you've done all you can for me, and now you ain't nothin' but loose ends. Especially Chikorita there."_

 _…_

 _"Once you're down there, in the pits of the Voidlands… you ain't never comin' back up. Not even you, Chikorita. Finally get it, don't you?"_

*Toss* *turn*

 _There ain't nothin' left for you in this world! So you be good little pawns… and let me turn y'all back into stone!"_

*GASP* *PANT* *PANT*

Nuzleaf's heart was beating so hard he was shaking. He looked out the window and saw that the sunlight was still soft, suggesting that it was still early in the afternoon. The house was quiet and Chikorita wasn't back yet.

"I reckon… I must'a dozed off by accident…" he whispered to himself as he tried to catch his breath.

This was the first nightmare he had in a long time. And the weight these nightmares always left on him felt overwhelming.

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"I can't BELIEVE those guys tumbled all the way down the hill!"

Totodile was struggling to regain his composure after laughing so hard.

"It was pretty funny." Chikorita was just laughing at her friend who couldn't seem to get over it. "Those two are interesting characters."

"And then when they started coming back up the hill… and then Pancham tackled him back down AGAIN! Ahahahahaha!"

Totodile was on the ground at this point, pounding his fist and just dying of laughter. Chikorita had to pause her walking to let him get it all out.

"My _goodness_ , Totodile. It was funny, but make sure you take a breath now and then…" she teased.

"Okay, okay… I think I'm good." He pulled himself up from the ground. "So, I'm gonna run home and spend a little time with Pops. But I'll meet you at your house in a bit and then we can go?"

"Sounds good!"

The two parted ways and went into their respective houses.

Chikorita stepped inside and found Nuzleaf… staring out the window and looking incredibly pale.

He snapped out of his trance and turned when he heard her come in.

"Hey you." He forced a smile. "Did ya have a good time with your friends?"

"Yeah, it was good to see everyone again. Are you… okay? You look like you've seen a Gastly…"

He didn't really try to hide it. He stood there silent for a moment, and finally mumbled, "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry? For what?"

He suddenly walked her way and knelt down in front of her, looking her right in the eye. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Chikorita… you know I didn't mean none of what I said back then, right? Back when Dark Matter had control of me… all that stuff I said, about you bein' a fool and all… I didn't mean _none_ of it. Not a single word. You know that, don't ya?"

"Of course I know that. What's wrong, Papa…? Why are you bringing that up now?"

"I… had one of them nightmares again, just now."

"Again?! What do you mean _again_? Does this happen often?"

"Not too much, no. It sorta comes in waves. Hasn't happened in quite some time 'til now. I reckon I've been pretty good this whole while at not lettin' it get to me and stayin' clear headed, but… sometimes, when I think about how I almost went and sent you to-"

"You're still experiencing trauma…" she cut in. "And I really, really wish I could help and take that away. But all I can do is forgive you."

She paused for a second and gave him a hug.

"…And I'll remind you of that every single day, if it'll help…"

He took a deep breath. "You sure are a sweet child, ain't ya?"

He released the embrace after a moment and looked into her eyes again. "There's somethin' I've been meaning to… ask ya."

"What is it?"

"It's just… here I've been, all this whole while just talkin' about my side of it all. But I don't recall that I've ever once asked you about… how _you_ feel 'bout the whole thing."

She was a little confused. "You mean… how I feel _these_ days?"

Tears started spilling down Nuzleaf's face as he spoke. "I know I hurt you, child. Back then, when I went and betrayed ya, and you truly had all the reason in the world to hate me… and yet, here you are. I just need to know, honestly… how did you feel then? How bad did I hurt ya?"

Chikorita thought for a moment, looking down.

"…Back at Revelation Mountain, when we first found out the culprit was you… honestly, in that moment, I wanted to scream. I was so mad. I had come to trust you, and looked up to you like… well, a father. But I-"

He was still on his knees at her level, still facing the ground and teary-eyed.

"I used you…" he whispered.

"But," she continued, "at that time I didn't realize you were being controlled. I didn't really know much of anything about Dark Matter yet. Later I learned what was happening, and then of course I couldn't be mad at you anymore. It just broke my heart when I had to fight you that one time. I didn't want to hurt you…"

"You were rightly justified in it." He finally looked back up. "I was askin' for it."

"But it's all okay now." She smiled as she spoke. "You're okay, I'm okay… and we've come _so_ far since then. Totodile's always saying that if none of that ever happened, you and I would've never met. And so I'm thankful for that."

"Heh…" he pondered for a moment. "…That kid has the darnest insights sometimes."

He stood back up and smiled. "I sure do wish it didn't have to go the way it did… but likewise, I truly am grateful things turned out this way."

"I always knew that the _real_ Nuzleaf had to be a pretty swell guy…" she winked, trying to lighten the mood.

He smiled. "Oh, did ya now?"

"I mean, last night you let me eat all of the _best_ pastries from Kangaskhan's basket, so… if that isn't proof, I don't know what is!"

"You're just lucky I like ya, kid," he teased.

"Chikorita!" Totodile called from outside. "Ready?"

"Headed off again?" Nuzleaf asked.

"Yeah. We wanted to stop by the school and say hi to all the staff."

"Well that sounds like a fine idea. Off you go, then."

"Okay. I'LL BE RIGHT THERE," she shouted out to Totodile. Before leaving, she run up and hugged her father one more time.

"Don't let the flashbacks get to you," she said. "You're forgiven."

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"Sheesh. Took you long enough," Totodile teased as she came out the door. "Is everything okay?"

She put on her smiley face. "Yep! Everything's good." _I hope…_

The two walked into the plaza when Totodile suddenly stopped.

"So… I know I gave you a hard time for taking too long just now, but… I kind of really want to grab a snack from the café real quick…"

" _Of course_ you do." She rolled her eyes and giggled. "Well, you go do that. I'll meet you back out here."

The hungry crocodile ran inside, and Chikorita walked around the plaza for a bit.

There weren't too many Pokemon out and about at the time. She walked over towards the pier by the lake.

"Hi, Beheeyem!" she called out.

He turned away from the view.

"Oh? Hey there, Chikorita. When did you get back?"

"Just last night. But you know, it's funny… last time I was here a couple months ago, you were in this exact same spot. You _have_ moved since then, right?" she teased.

He went along with it. "Heheh… I don't see why you've gotta be judging me like that, kid. I love this lake; what can I say?"

"It really is beautiful out here." She walked up by him to gaze out.

"I've gotta be real with you, small fry. I think you're becoming more and more like Totodile with each visit."

"Shall I take that as a compliment?"

"For sure. I just think it's funny, remembering the days when you were all shy and quiet. It's refreshing to see you two always so full of life."

Chikorita was quiet for a minute or two, wondering if she should ask him a certain question…

"You know something?" Beheeyem suddenly spoke, still gazing out. "I used to be afraid of silence. But since coming here, I've learned to enjoy it."

"I know what you mean."

More moments of silence.

"…Can I ask you something?" she finally uttered.

"Sure. Anything."

"Let me know if I'm crossing the line here, but… I was just wondering if you ever struggle with… trauma, of any kind, from being controlled by Dark Matter?"

"Don't ever feel bad about asking those questions, kid. It's not like you weren't there. But to answer you, I do sometimes get flashbacks and random waves of guilty feelings, but it's actually pretty rare and never lasts for very long. It's the same for the other two. I'm honestly surprised that it hasn't been harder for us."

"I see."

"Is there a reason why you're asking? I mean, it's been almost a year now."

She let out a sad sigh. "It's Nuzleaf. He had a breakdown today and I just… feel so bad. He has such a big heart and knows that he's forgiven, but it seems like he just can't seem to fully forgive _himself_ …"

"I get you. I know it's different for Nuzleaf since he was so connected with you all here in the village while it was all going on. It's been easier for the three of us since we weren't personally involved with the villagers and basically just hid behind the scenes for most of it. But I wouldn't worry about him too much. He'll be all right."

"I just wish I could do something to help…"

"You already are. I don't think you realize how happy he is whenever you come visit. He really does love you, kid. I'll never forget the day he brought you back when we had that wildfire. The guy could barely even walk because his leg hurt so bad, but that sure didn't stop him from walking five miles back here to get you home."

"Yeah…" Chikorita's heart felt warm as she started remembering that day. "I'll never forget that either."

Totodile finally came out of the café and headed their way.

"Well, I guess that's my cue."

"Good seeing you. If you ever wanna chat more, you obviously know where to find me."

"Thanks!"

And with that she took off to meet her partner.

"Sheeh! _Took you long enough_!" she sassed.

"Okay, okay. I deserved that one. Now let's get there before they all go on lunch break!"

They ventured north to their old school. Totodile was hyped up, like usual. But Chikorita was lost in a trance.

 _I can't believe it's been almost six months since that fire happened… I'm so lucky to still be alive right now…_


	3. While Unconscious

A/N: This chapter is in reference to the previous story.

* * *

 ** _Flashback to six months ago…_**

" _Yowch! Gahhh! Consarn it!_ "

Pain shot up Nuzleaf's leg as he knelt to lay down his very wounded child, who was still barely breathing. It had been an insufferably long journey out of Nectar Meadow, and his burned leg had started going numb after the first couple miles. But the pain all started coming back towards the end.

Still, he didn't care about it. All that mattered was that Chikorita was home, safe in bed, and that help was on the way.

"Hello? Mr. Nuzleaf? Are you home yet?"

Audino peaked her head through the doorway.

"Nurse Audino! Please, hurry! She ain't doin' no good at all…"

She quickly scurried over with her large medicine bag. She listened for a heartbeat, and then without a moment's notice, pulled a syringe out of the bag and injected Chikorita with it.

"What'd ya just give her?"

"It's a special medicine I made a while ago specifically for fire wounds. It's a mix of rawst berries, oran berries, and honey from the meadow."

"Do ya reckon it'll work?"

Nuzleaf was clearly panicked.

"I'm very confident that it'll work." She smiled assuredly. "I'll also leave this cold rag on her forehead, to help her body slowly cool down."

She pulled out a rag and placed it on her head, wrapped her biggest burn wounds up with bandages, and listened again for a heartbeat.

"Her breathing's already picking up. I have no doubt that she'll wake up no later than tomorrow morning!"

Nuzleaf let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. Real good. I reckon I can't thank you enough for comin' over here, and I promise I'll pay ya real good when-"

"Don't even worry about it!" she cut in. "I love this sweet girl. I wouldn't dream of asking you for money for treating her!"

"Hey!" a voice came from the doorway. "Mind if I barge in?"

Flygon entered anyway. "How's Chikorita? Is she gonna be okay?"

"She'll be just fine," Audino said, packing her bag. "The wounds will take some time to heal, but her breathing is normal again and her pulse is perfect."

"Okay. That's great! I was freaking out here. Thanks a lot, Miss… um…?"

"Audino," she giggled. "I need to head back to the clinic and restock my medicine. But I'll be back first thing in the morning to check on her, okay?"

With that she headed out.

"Gosh… I feel like such an _idiot_ ," Flygon began. "What was I thinking? I should've blown that fire the other direction. I should've-"

"Don't you pay that no never mind," Nuzleaf cut him off. "You put that fire out. I reckon it would'a spread all over the land if you hadn't shown up. It was just one sorry stroke of bad luck."

"I know. I just feel like a cruddy friend right now. But anyways, I couldn't find much help in Lively Town, but I did meet a Miltank who gave me this…" he held out a bottle of milk. "She said it's supposed to have healing powers."

"That's perfect. I've heard tales about this stuff healin' folks."

Nuzleaf took the bottle. "I'll give it to her once she's up and movin'..."

He turned his head and looked down at her, still with an extremely worried expression.

Flygon tilted his head and noticed his nervousness. "Hey… she _will_ wake up. She will. Don't worry about it."

*Knock knock* "Hello? Mr. Nuzleaf? Mind if I enter?"

Roselia peered in.

"Come right on in."

"Wow. So many visitors," Flygon said. "I think I'll head home. Maybe someone in Sahra town will have more medicine. Oh, and the Expedition Society said they'll all come pay her a visit once Archen gets back in town. So… yeah, prepare yourself for quite the gathering."

He took off into the sky and Roselia made her way into the room.

"I apologize for barging in like this," she said. "I just think I might be able to help."

"You ain't causin' no trouble at all. How can you-"

"Hey Nuzleaf?" Carracosta called as he entered the house. "How is she doing? Do you need any help over here?"

"I was actually just going to do some aromatherapy," Roselia said. "It's supposed to help with all kinds of status conditions. Budew accidentally burned herself some time ago while playing with a candle, but aromatherapy healed her right away!"

"Yes! Do it! Anything that'll help…"

Roselia held out her rose hands over Chikorita, and released some petals and incense. Within just a matter of minutes, some Chikorita's visible wounds started disappearing. But the petals ran out after a few moments.

"I'm sorry, that's all I have," Roselia said. "It's not perfect, but I hope this will ease her pain for when she wakes up."

"Thank you very much, Ms. Roselia. That was awful kind of you to do."

She nodded. "Well, I should get back home to Budew. Goodnight, gentlemen."

Carracosta turned back to Nuzleaf. "Sorry to intrude. I just wanted to make sure the child was all right. Totodile was worried sick, but he passed out the moment we got home."

"The nurse reckons she'll be just fine…"

Nuzleaf walked over and sat down in a chair across from her bed. "But I ain't restin' 'til I'm sure of it!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

 ** _The next morning…_**

"Good morning!" Audino's voice sang. "Is everybody awake?"

Nuzleaf went to the door to lead her in.

"I hope you let yourself get some sleep last night, Mr. Nuzleaf?"

"I slept a little. But that ain't concernin' me right now. Chikorita woke up 'round midnight and was up and movin' for a short while."

"Excellent! See? Nothing to worry about!"

"She conked out pretty quick though. I reckon her energy levels ain't gonna be too high while she's healin'."

"Yeah, that'll happen with burns. Just give it some time."

Audino started digging through her bag. She pulled out a syringe and gave Chikorita another dose.

"Thank you kindly, nurse."

"Of course! Now then…" she dug through the bag again. "Let's do something about that leg of yours."

Nuzleaf looked down at the festering wound on his knee. "Oh, that ain't important. I'll be fine. You need not pay no never mind to me."

She smiled her usual, kind smile. "Unfortunately, walking out of here without fixing you up would go against my moral code as a nurse. Sorry! Have a seat."

He reluctantly complied. Audino pulled out some burn heal spray from her bag.

"This might sting a little…"

"GYAHHHHHH! DAGNABBIT!" Nuzleaf screamed, gripping the chair's arms and trying to breathe through the pain. He looked over at Chikorita, surprised that he didn't wake her.

"My goodness. I can't fathom how you walked so far with a burn like this…" she said appalled, as she started bandaging his leg up.

"I ain't really sure myself, if I'm honest." He was still mildly cringing as the pain slowly eased up.

"Well, in any case, you're good to go! I have clinic duty in a few minutes, but don't hesitate to come steal me away if Chikorita needs anything!"

"I surely will."

She began heading out, before briefly looking back at him.

"You're a good dad, Mr. Nuzleaf."

And with a wink, she was off.

 _A good… dad…_

After she left, he walked over to a window, finding it much easier to walk at that point. He gazed out for a few short moments, when in due time he saw a little blue rascal racing over that way.

"COME ON, POPS! HURRY UP!"

"Calm down, son! You don't want to overwhelm them."

Totodile came sprinting to the doorsteps, with Carracosta following, trying to keep up.

"Hi Mr. Nuzleaf! How's Chikorita?! Can I see her?"

He led him over to the bed. Totodile knelt down and started trying to shake her awake.

"Hey? Chikorita? It's Totodile. Can you hear me?"

"Careful now," Nuzleaf said. "Remember she's hurt all over."

He eased up a little, and the sleeping Pokemon started grunting a little as she slowly opened her eyes.

Her vision was blurry at first but she could make out his shape.

"Hi Totodile…"

"CHIKORITA! YOU'RE OKAY!"

Her partner fell down to his face, nearly bawling. "I was… so… worried!"

"I'm okay, I promise."

She let out a soft giggle as she tried to comfort him. He was always so animated.

She looked behind him and saw Carracosta talking to Nuzleaf. It was then that she remembered what she… _called him_ , the night before as she was falling asleep.

Nuzleaf looked over after a moment and they met eyes. He simply smiled warmly and nodded. And she immediately knew that it was okay.

And from that day forward, it never felt weird to call him Papa.


	4. Just Another Adventure

Stars were shining all over the night sky, and tiny snowflakes were falling again.

The two heroes were finally returning home after being out and socializing all day.

"Phew, I'm starved!" Totodile exclaimed. "You're coming over for dinner, right? We're having a feast!"

"Maybe! I'll have to see what Nuzleaf wants to do."

"Okay! Hey, I was thinking, maybe one of these nights before we leave, I should invite all of our classmates over for dinner. Pops certainly has enough food to go around!"

He hopped excitedly.

"Yeah, that would be fun, except… make sure Pancham and Shelmet don't break out into a brawl. I can only imagine how your father would react…"

"Hehehe… that would be priceless! Well, I guess I'll see you in a bit? Maybe?"

"Probably. See ya!"

Chikorita entered the house and looked around. The lights were on but Nuzleaf wasn't there.

 _Where in the world-_

"Hiya!" a voice suddenly came from right behind her.

"Augh!" she jumped and gasped out of shock.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare ya."

Nuzleaf came into the house carrying a large bag of items.

"It's all good…" she slowly caught her breath. "Where were you?"

"Over at Kecleon's. He said he got some good imports today, so I did a little shoppin' around. Here," he handed her the bag.

She stared at it for a second. "You're… giving it all to me?"

"Yeah. I reckon you'd have a better use for this stuff than I would."

She started looking through it all. The bag was completely filled with top-notch items. Petrify orbs, reviver seeds, various wands and vitamin drinks… and even a Progress Device +.

"Wow… this is so nice. Thanks, Papa…"

"You're very welcome!" He smiled cheerfully.

"So… I take it you're feeling better from before?"

"Yeah. I'm good now. Sorry for springin' all that on you outta the blue like that…"

"No need to be sorry. I'm just glad to see you happy again! So what did you do while I was out then?"

"I went and had a good talk with Carracosta after y'all left for the school. Beheeyem came and joined some while later, and we had a good ol' heart to heart. Talkin' with someone who knows firsthand how it all was did me some good."

"That's good. I'm glad."

They looked back out the doorway and noticed that the snowfall had picked up quite a bit. It was sticking at that point.

"Well, ain't that strange?" Nuzleaf crossed his arms. "I've never seen snow around these parts 'til the other day."

"It's so pretty…" Chickorita mumbled. They went outside and walked around a little.

After a few moments of enjoying the view, Nuzleaf suddenly felt a snowball crash into his back. He turned around and saw the feminine leaf head smiling and looking around in every other direction.

"Are you challengin' me, kid?" he sassed.

"…Mayyyyybe."

As he leaned down and formed a ball of snow and aimed it, she started running away, squealing and laughing. They chased each other around the yard until they got close to their neighbors' house.

"Totodile! Help!" Chikorita shouted through the window as she kept running around and getting pelted.

"No fair!" she called out to Nuzleaf. "You have a way easier time making snowballs!"

"Life ain't always fair, kid," he called back.

Totodile finally caught sight of them through the window.

"Hey! I wanna play!"

He ran out and noticed his partner's disadvantage.

"Hold up, Chikorita! I'm joining your side!"

They all ran around for a while until those two finally cornered Nuzleaf by their house. They were about to launch, when Carracosta called out.

"Totodile! Come back inside. Dinner's ready."

"Okay, Pops!"

They were still for a second, and then quickly spun around in sync and pelted Nuzleaf with their snowballs.

"Heh. Fair enough," came his reply.

"Come join us, you guys!" Totodile hopped. "We seriously can't finish all that food by ourselves."

So the three of them brushed the snow off and went inside the house for the great feast.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

*Knock knock*

"Good morning, Chikorita," Carracosta opened the door. "What brings you here so early?"

"Is Totodile awake?"

"Nope. But you're free to go and wake him if you'd like."

"Thanks. It's kind of important…"

She ran into the house and aggressively tried shaking her partner awake.

"Come on, Totodile! You're usually the early bird out of the two of us. WAKE UP."

"TAKE THAT!" he suddenly yelled and clawed at her before his eyes shot open.

"Whoa! What was that?"

"Oh, sorry! I was dreaming about fighting a Gengar!"

"…With a scratch attack?"

"Hey, I can't always control my dreams. Anyways… what are you doing here so early?" He gave a puzzled look.

"Check this out."

She set down the connection orb and pulled up a job list.

"Huh?! There's a mission for us here on _this_ continent?"

"Yeah, I was surprised too. Apparently there's an angry Crobat on the loose in Foreboding Forest. We should go battle it!"

"Yeah! Let's go now!"

He jumped up out of bed and ran for the door. He paused for a split second and spun back around to face his father behind the counter.

"Pops! You should come with us!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Yeah! It'll be fun! Come to Foreboding Forest and fight the Crobat with us!"

"I don't know, son. I've got lots of work to do today."

"Pleaaaase? I never get to go on missions with you! And you're always telling me not to let my dreams just be dreams, right?"

Carracosta sighed and gave in. "All right. I suppose I could go this one time."

"Hooray!"

They exited the house and made their way to the bridge, when Nuzleaf suddenly ran out of his house after them.

"Hey Chikorita, hold up a sec. Think I could borrow a minute of your time?"

He handed her an envelope. "Pelipper came and brought this here just now. Says it's an urgent notice from the Expedition Society."

She opened the letter, and saw that it was a notice for the same mission they were leaving for. Ampharos wanted them to go since they were the closest to that forest.

"Oh, okay," she put the letter in their bag. "We're actually going there now, just to battle a Crobat. Hey, you should come with us too!"

"Where are y'all headed off to?"

"Just to Foreboding Forest. It'll be fun, with all four of us!"

"All right then. That ain't too far. Let's go!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The group fought through the very easy dungeon until they arrived at the final floor.

They all looked around in every direction, confused. There was no sign of a mad Crobat anywhere.

"Perhaps he fled?" Carracosta suggested.

"That usually doesn't happen though," Totodile said. "They're usually-"

"HELP! Someone make him stop!"

Behind them, two Golbats suddenly flew through the trees and stopped in front of them in a panic.

"What's going on? Are you guys okay?" Totodile asked.

"It's Crobat. The dude's gone CRAZY!"

"That's why we're here! We'll stop him!" Chikorita said with confidence.

"Oh, I don't think it'll be as easy as you think…" one of the Golbats replied nervously.

"What do you mean?"

They all looked up to the sky and saw a large silhouette, slowly getting closer and closer.

Chikorita's eyes widened. "That is…"

"…the _biggest_ Crobat I've ever seen…" Totodile gasped.

"He used to be our bro," one of the Golbats began. "He got injected with something. We don't know what it was, but it was some doctor overseas who was trying out some kind of medicine, and… well, now he's gone mad. It's like he lost his mind and he just won't stop attacking everyone!"

"We should be able to take him on despite his size," Carracosta said. "We outnumber him."

"Okay, but just be careful… make sure you DON'T get caught in his poison fang attack!"

"Why not?"

"I don't know how…" the Golbat looked up in terror as he spoke, "…but something about that injection intensified that attack, and now it's basically deadly. He caught a Wurmple straight on with it the other day, and the poor thing died moments later."

"Died?!" they shrieked.

"Here he comes!" they both cried out. "Come on, dude, let's get out of here!"

The Golbats fled.

"All right y'all," Nuzleaf took a fighting stance. "Let's take out this troublemaker! Just watch out for them jaws."

They all took their stances, and Totodile fired a water gun as Crobat got close enough.

He was knocked off balance, but quickly recovered and charged full-force at them.

"Look out!"

They all jumped aside to dodge.

Chikorita fired razor leaf, despite knowing how weak it would be against Crobat's types. He got closer and Carracosta knocked him into a tree with rollout.

Nuzleaf stuck him further with feint attack. But he still recovered quickly.

He flew up into the air, and then charged back down at an even faster speed than before. He was headed for Totodile, and began opening his mouth as if ready to use poison fang.

"Totodile! Watch out!" Carracosta jumped in front of him and blocked Crobat's path, eventually knocking him to the ground with smack down.

Crobat shot up and tackled Chikorita, sending her flying to the other side of the battlefield. The other three started running that direction, with their opponent following.

Being the fastest of them all, Crobat bypassed them and got ready to tackle Chikorita again, who had nowhere to turn at that point.

As soon as Nuzleaf saw this, he broke out into a full sprint and ran faster than ever before, it seemed. He miraculously managed to catch up to Crobat and tackled him straight to the ground, seconds before he would've hit Chikorita.

Crobat broke free once again. Chikorita ran up and launched an ancientpower attack. This increased her speed and strength.

"Hey Chikorita!" Totodile called out. "Quick! Let's do an alliance!"

"Okay!"

They surrounded their opponent and launched their attack with all the strength they could muster.

This did a surprising amount of damage, and Crobat was down for a good moment.

The two Golbats came back into the scene. They joined the circle around Crobat and launched supersonic in unison. They then finished him off with aerial ace attacks.

"Is he… done?" Totodile asked after a moment.

"Ummmmm… YEAH! Yeah, I think he's good now. He isn't still trying to fight and he isn't breathing all crazy anymore. Awesome! I think we finally stopped the effects of that drug."

"Great! Glad he'll be okay."

"Thanks a bunch, guys. Really. We wouldn't have been able to stop him by ourselves."

"Clearly. You both ran away at the sight of him," Carracosta pointed out.

"Yeah, sorry about that. But everyone's good? No one's bitten? We can all go home now?"

"Yep!" Totodile hopped. "We should be heading back now. Hey Pops? Do we have leftovers from last night at home? I'm starved! Let's get going!"

The hyper crocodile raced out to the stairs, with his not-so-amused father following.

"You guys!" Chikorita yelled after them, laughing. "Wait up!"

 _Ah, never mind. We'll catch up._

She walked over to Nuzleaf, who had just pulled himself off the ground.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah. Just gimme a sec…" he was still facing away.

"Ummm… are you okay?"

"I'm okay. I'll be okay…"

She moved closer. "…Papa?"

He finally turned around, and slowly moved his hand away from his side.

She saw two small scrapes. They were turning purple. And they looked like they came from teeth…

"PAPA!" she shrieked in horror. "He got you?!"

"It was just a little scratch. He didn't actually bite me or nothin'. I'll be fine. I'll be-"

He suddenly collapsed to the ground and blacked out.

"NO!"

Chikorita picked him up with her vines and high-tailed it out of the forest at a speed she never knew she was capable of.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

*Pant pant*

She was losing strength.

*Pant pant*

Her vision was going blurry from the exhaustion and dizziness. She felt sick.

Finally she reached the village's gates.

She screamed for help as she sped through the plaza and back to their house. Audino was notified and immediately made the trip over.

"Audino!" she cried out as she entered the house and laid Nuzleaf down. "Please! Do something!"

"What happened?"

"It was a… poison fang attack. A really bad one. They said it's strong enough to kill Pokemon! He wasn't bitten straight on, but…"

She started hyperventilating. She couldn't fully wrap her head around what was happening.

"Okay. Don't worry, sweetie, we'll handle it. I even have my intern Chansey here to help me."

Audino leaned in and listened for a heartbeat.

"He's still in there; still breathing. We can help him, but we'll have to be quick. Chansey, can you hand me my bag?"

She pulled out a syringe and injected him with a dose of pecha berry fluids.

"Will that be enough?!" Chikorita exclaimed.

"It should do the trick for healing the poison. Now it's just a question of how much damage it's already done…"

"Well what do we do?!"

"Here, we'll give him a dose of oran berry medicine too."

Chansey filled up a new syringe and handed it to her superior to proceed with the injection.

"It's too bad Roselia isn't in town to do some aromatherapy…" Chansey said.

"Oh shoot," Audino said, scavenging through her bag. "I don't have any with me, but I know there's some special medicine back at the clinic that we keep for emergencies. I think it'll really help, but we'll have to run back and grab it."

"Do you think you'll be able to get it in time?"

"We'll go quickly. You just stay here and watch over him, okay?" She smiled, trying to comfort her.

The two nurses ran off.

Chikorita went over and sat by his bedside, starting to tremble.

 _Papa…please be okay…_

The purple color from the bite marks seemed to be fading a little. She figured that was the medicine working.

After some time of silence, Nuzleaf suddenly started breathing heavier and opened his eyes.

Chikorita gasped in relief. "Papa! You're okay!"

He tried to sit up, but didn't have the strength. He still appeared to be in great pain.

"You _are_ okay… right?" she got worried again.

"I… uhh…" he grasped his side in pain, still panting heavily.

"I reckon… I ain't gonna make it through this one."

Her eyes widened in horror.

"No! Don't say that! Audino and Chansey will be back any minute with better medicine! They said it'll make you better..."

"I feel it, kiddo. It was one heck of an attack. I do believe… my time's almost up."

"No!" Chikorita started sobbing. "It can't be! I won't let it!"

He finally found the strength to turn his head, and looked into her big eyes. He smiled warmly at her.

"Don't be sad, child. I reckon… I _know,_ you're gonna be just fine. You just keep bein' you and savin' the world like you have been. I just want ya to know…" tears started rolling down his face, "…that it's been a privilege… to be your Papa…"

Chikorita was uncontrollably bawling by then, as she hugged him and buried her face.

"Papa… please don't leave me…"

He mustered up all the strength he had left to wrap his arm around her. He grunted in pain a couple more times, and then…

Stopped breathing.

His arm fell limp to the ground.

Chikorita lifted her head, and started shaking him.

"…Papa? No… NO. _NO!_ " she screamed at the top of her lungs. "HELP! SOMEONE! ANYONE! WE NEED HELP IN HERE!"

No one was around to hear.

"Papa… no… you can't leave me like this… I can't-"

She couldn't speak through her sobs. All she could do was lay there next to him, hoping she'd wake up from this dream that just couldn't be real. It just _couldn't_ be real…

The world around her went black.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

After several long, lonely moments, she found the strength to lift her head and speak again.

"Nuzleaf… you were the best father I could've ever asked for. It's not fair… IT'S NOT FAIR! You didn't deserve this! You didn't deserve any of it! First, Dark Matter came and took control of you against your will, tormented you, and stole away years of your life… and now… now that things are good again…"

She started quivering again and struggled to keep speaking as the tears ran down. Flashbacks of that battle replayed in her head, and that moment when he tackled Crobat… the moment all this began…

"You were just trying to protect me…" *sniff*. "It should've been me…"

She laid back down again, still talking as if he could hear.

"I was planning to go evolve in a couple days… and, I wanted you to come with me. To share in the moment. I wanted you to be there. And I was excited to tell you, but…"

She fell to her face weeping and couldn't speak another word. And despite the sobs, the room only seemed to get quieter…

 _And the snowflakes ceased to fall._


	5. Growing Up

_Blurred vision. Heavy breathing. Numb limbs. The broken pieces of her heart pounding hard…_

There were voices. Distant voices. They seemed to be calling her name, but they only sounded like faded echoes.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her back. This shocked her and her head suddenly shot up.

"Chikorita? Sweetie?"

Audino and Chansey were finally back.

"Are you okay, hon?" Chansey asked. "How's he doing?"

 _Why can't I wake up from this nightmare?!_

"He's… he's…" she couldn't stop herself from blubbering.

A wave of fear came across Audino's face. But it only lasted for a brief moment, and then she smiled gently.

"Let me see if I can find a heartbeat."

"But… he stopped breathing ages ago…"

"Honey, I think you forget: I have _good_ ears. It's how I could tell _you_ were still alive after that fire, after all."

She leaned down and listened for a few moments.

"You know what…" she began.

"What? Can you hear anything?!"

"…I think I can." She smiled cheerfully. "It's very, _very_ faint, but he's still breathing. He's still in there."

"HE IS?!" Chikorita shot up. "What do we do then? Do you have that medicine?"

"It took us a while to find, but we have it!" Chansey pulled out a vial from the bag.

"What is that?"

"It was left here generations ago," Audino began. "It's said to be from the human world. It's called Max Revive. We don't know exactly how it got here, but we always kept it stored away in case of emergencies. It's believed to be far more powerful than reviver seeds."

"And you think it can bring him back?"

"I have a good feeling. But I'm going to need your help, Chikorita. Okay?"

"Of course. I'll do anything."

Audino poured the medicine into a new syringe and injected it. They waited for a few moments, but there was still nothing happening.

"Okay Chikorita, I need you to start talking now."

"Talking?"

"Yes. Talk to him. I'm convinced that if there's anything in this world that'll get him to wake up, it's the sound of your voice."

Her heart started pounding fast. She walked up to his bedside again and tried to form words.

"…Papa? Nuzleaf? It's me… Chikorita. Your kiddo. Can you hear me?"

She looked back at the nurses.

"That's good! Keep going!"

"…I, um… I really want you to be okay. I want to talk to you again. I want to keep sharing stories with you, and joking around with you, and going on adventures, and…" she started to tear up again. "…I just really want to see you again. Please wake up… for me?"

There was still no reaction. She was starting to lose hope.

When…

"AIIEEEH!"

She screamed in shock as she was suddenly grabbed from behind. She couldn't even tell who is was, but she was being dragged backwards and couldn't break free.

"Let go of me! What are you doing! Someone, help!"

Their grip became tighter.

"Ouch! What are you guys doing? Help!"

Audino and Chansey simply stood there and watched.

"LET GO! I CAN'T BREATHE! SOMEONE HELP ME!"

 _"CHIKORITA!"_

Nuzleaf suddenly sat up within the span of a half-second.

"Chikorita, are you o-"

She was released from their grip and put back on the ground. She stood there frozen for a moment, eyes filling up again.

"P-PAPA!"

She raced over and hugged the life out of him, causing him to fall backwards again.

"Hey there, kiddo…"

He held her tightly in their embrace for several moments; both of them weeping with joy.

"I thought you were…" she managed through her quick, sobbing breaths, "and I was so…"

"I know, kid. I know. It's all right now."

"Well, if this isn't the sweetest thing I've ever seen…" Audino started to tear up a little too.

They sat back up to face her, and then turned and saw that it was Carracosta who had attacked Chikorita.

"…Carracosta?" she tilted her head. "That was you?"

"Indeed. We planned this entire thing out."

They looked back at the nurses.

"It's true," Audino smiled. "We knew this reviver medicine would be enough to keep Mr. Nuzleaf alive, but we needed to find a way to really snap him back, since he was almost gone at that point. And I know that he would do anything in the world for you, Chikorita. Anything to keep you safe. And so we went and talked to Mr. Carracosta there, and had him pretend to attack you. We couldn't tell you because your reaction had to be convincing…" she winked.

"Well… ain't that somethin'…" Nuzleaf started to wind down and breathe easier.

"Thank you… all of you," Chikorita started wiping her tears. "So, will he be okay now, Audino?"

"Absolutely. That bite mark will probably be a little sore for a while, but that'll be the extent of your worries!"

"Oh, and we figured out what caused that poison fang to be so deadly," Chansey said. "That Crobat somehow came into contact with some medicine that was also from the human world. It was a failed experiment, but the medicine was supposed to make humans immune to poison. But if it's given to a Pokemon, it makes their poison attacks more powerful and they start seeing red. But luckily that wears off after some time! So Crobat should be fine as well."

"Well… I don't reckon I could ever express enough gratitude to y'all," Nuzleaf said, slowly standing up.

 _"PSSSST!"_

Totodile poked his head in the doorway, believing he was a lot more hidden than he actually was.

"Pops?" he whispered. "Is it over? Did it work?"

"It's all finished, son. You can come in now."

"It worked? YAY!" he excitedly hopped inside. "Mr. Nuzleaf, you're okay! And Chikorita! Did my Pops do a good job?"

"Oh, he was very convincing," she laughed.

"He sure knows how to be scary when he wants to be!"

"Um… thanks, son?"

"So, you're okay! We're all okay! Hooray! Let's all just plan to not fight any more Crobats for a while…"

"DEAL!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Hello, Chikorita. Welcome to the Tree of Life."

"Hi, Xerneas. I'm here to evolve."

"Just you?"

"I'm just here for support," Nuzleaf said.

"All right. So, Chikorita… are you sure you're ready for this? Once you evolve, you can't turn back. Can you accept this?"

"Yes."

"Very well. When you're ready, follow me back to the Tree of Life."

She turned to Nuzleaf. "Well, this is it."

"Go for it, kiddo."

"You know that this will be the last time you'll ever see me like this…" she teased.

"I know. But I do believe you'll come outta there lookin' better than ever."

"Chikorita?" Xerneas called out. "Are you coming?"

"Okay… here goes…"

She followed Xerneas to the back of the meadow where the Tree of Life was. She was out of Nuzleaf's sight for a few moments. But in due time…

…Out came Bayleef.

She was practically glowing.

"Well? How do I look?" she asked Nuzleaf.

"You look great, kid." He shed a couple tears. "I… I reckon you're growin' up real good. I'm real proud of you."

She hugged her Papa, and during the process realized they were a lot closer in size and height now.

"Are you sure you don't want to become a Shiftry?" Xerneas asked Nuzleaf.

"Oh, nah, I'm all right, heh…" Nuzleaf respectfully declined. "I've encountered my fair share of 'em over the years, and well… let's just say I don't wanna become that. They're a bit off their rockers, if ya know what I mean."

"That's perfectly fine. I just thought I would ask."

Xerneas couldn't help but notice that Nuzleaf wouldn't make direct eye contact.

"…Is there anything else you would like to discuss?" Xerneas stepped closer.

Nuzleaf kept looking away. "Nope. Nothin' else. We did what we came here for, so I reckon we should be headin' back…"

"You still have yourself in chains."

That caught him off guard.

"Erm… what's that now?"

"You still feel guilty about what you did under Dark Matter's control. And you feel especially guilty around me, since I'm the Tree of Life incarnate and the one who you were destroying. Is this correct?"

Nuzleaf's heart started pounding hard and he fixed his gaze on the ground again. "I uhh…"

"Don't worry. In case it helps to hear it from me personally, _I forgive you_."

"You don't… have to do that." He almost wanted to hide his face, but remained composed.

"I'm well aware that I don't _have_ to. I'm choosing to. In fact, it's a done deal. It has been for a long time. We all know that your actions were of Dark Matter and not your own."

He finally made eye contact. "Well… I'm surely indebted to you. If there's ever anythin' at all I can do to repay you-"

"You're not required to repay me. Forgiveness is free. I'm _giving_ it to you."

He got a little teary-eyed. "Well… that sure is somethin', ain't it? I... rightly do thank you, Xerneas."

The two leaf heads headed back to Lapras to start making their journey back home.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Whoa! Chikorita, is that you?!" Lombre exclaimed as the two entered the plaza.

"Yep. It's me."

"Wow… I guess you're not such a little kid anymore, huh?"

"I suppose we all have to grow up sometime, don't we?"

Bayleef and Nuzleaf continued through the plaza and made their way home. Totodile came sprinting out of his house as soon as he saw them out of his window.

"Oh my gosh! You look so cool, Chikor- erm, I mean, Bayleef!"

"Thanks, Totodile."

She laughed along with him while he freaked out with excitement.

"I wanna evolve too! _Hey, Pops?!_ "

Carracosta stepped out of the house at the sound of his call.

"Can I go evolve like Bayleef did? Can I?!"

"You're free to make that decision for yourself, son. I have nothing against it if that's what you wish to do."

"Woohoo! I'm gonna go right now! I'll see you later, Bayleef! We've gotta stay on the same level, after all!"

And without a second thought, he took off running towards the village's exit, leaving a small trail of dust behind him.

The leaf heads went inside.

Nuzleaf couldn't help but notice that Totodile left without asking his father to go with him…

"You know somethin'?" he asked.

"What's that?"

"You askin' me to go with you today… it really did mean a lot. I'm glad I could be there for ya."

"I'm glad too!"

*Flap* *flap*

"DELIVERY!"

They stepped back outside and found Pelipper there holding an envelope.

Nuzleaf took it, and noticed the date.

"This is… that lost letter I sent six months ago. I'll be darned…"

"I'm sorry about that…" Pelipper said, scratching his head. "It was my first week on the job. I took it to the Air Continent by mistake, and so they just held it there for a while."

"Better late than never?" Bayleef said.

"True, true. Well, have a lovely rest of your day, you two."

*Flap* *flap*

"Well…" Nuzleaf handed Bayleef the envelope as they went back inside. "I do believe this belongs to you."

"Aw… is this that heart-felt letter you were telling me about all those months ago? The first one you ever sent?"

She was playfully teasing, but sincere all the same.

"I'm certain of it."

She opened it up and started reading.

 _Dear Chikorita,_

 _I'm real glad to hear that all is goin' well for you two over in the Mist Continent. It sounds like both of y'all are doing some real good service to them Pokemon in need. That's a real admirable thing. Even after all this time, you're still savin' the world, one Pokemon at a time._

 _We sure do miss you two back here in the village. Hopin' to see you sometime in this near future, if you can ever spare some time away from your missions. Though I do understand that y'all are busy, and that the work you're doin' over there takes priority. But all the same, I just ask that you don't ever be a stranger. The door to this house is always open to you. I'll always be happy to have you over if you ever wanted to come home, no matter how long._

 _If ya ever need anything at all, just holler at me. I do hope you're bein' careful out there. I've gotta be honest… I think about you every day. And I can't help but worry sometimes, though I know I don't need to. There's a lot of stuff I know y'all are capable of, but just promise me you'll be safe out there. Ya hear?_

 _Well, take care… and I reckon I'll see ya around._

 _-N_

Bayleef looked up from the paper and smiled at him.

"It's… a little outta date by now, I reckon…"

"Thank you, Papa."

"But I do still stand by everythin' I said."

"I know."

She set it on the table, and turned back and smiled at him.

"Hey, do you know what I'd really like to do?"

"What's that now?"

"Go on adventure. Just the two of us."

"I'd surely enjoy that as well."

"How about now? It might be our last chance before Totodile and I go back to the Grass Continent."

"I reckon we could do it in honor of your new evolution."

"Yeah! Let's do it!"

"Where do ya wanna go?"

"Just… anywhere that doesn't have Crobats."

Nuzleaf smiled. "That'd be mighty fine with me."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

 _Laughter. New horizons. And the gentle snowflakes falling down again._

* * *

A/N: That concludes this very long sequel.

Gosh. This fic turned into a novel :L definitely didn't plan it that way lol. I'm seriously just way too attached to these characters.

So, this took me a long time to notice, but EVEN NUZLEAF'S HOUSE has a giant leaf on the roof. THEY WERE MEANT TO BE A FAMILY.

Also, just for the record, I don't have the heart to actually evolve myself on the game. It just wouldn't be the same ;.;

So yes, I know… there was lots of cheesiness and fluff and all that fun stuff. But I guess that's just how my headcanons work.

Like always, I welcome constructive feedback, as well as anyone who wants to fangirl out with me (since I'm incredibly late to the PSMD party and just got the game a month ago).

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, this game, quotes from the game, etc. Just a crazed fangirl who's STILL way too obsessed.


End file.
